Actually, Christmas isn’t forbidden

‘Tis the season, alright — the time of year when a Christmas controversy is inevitable.

Perhaps the best known flap of 2011 comes out of Rhode Island, where Gov. Lincoln Chafee is getting national attention — make that international — for calling the state tree a “holiday tree” instead of a “Christmas tree.”

In Nanuet, a teacher caused a stir for telling her second grade class that there is no Santa Claus.

In Stockton, Calif., there’s a buzz over a memo telling teachers to avoid decorations that have a religious affiliation, including poinsettias.

And in Cleveland, a twist on the usual outrage comes after a school teacher edited the word “gay” (it can also mean “cheery,” you know) out of a carol, Deck the Halls, so that the kids sang: “Don we now our bright apparel.” .

In an effort to bring some reason to the season, attorneys at the libertarian The Rutherford Institute put together a “12 rules of Christmas,” offering dos and don’ts for marking the holiday— and, more broadly, celebrating one’s beliefs — in the public realm, such as schools and government buildings.

If you go down the list, you’ll see that the constraints are fairly clear and limited. Nothing prevents teaching about religious holidays, so long as they’re taught objectively for historical or cultural importance, not to promote a religion. Christmas music, even religiously themed, is OK in choral programs “if the songs are included for a secular purpose such as their musical quality or cultural value or if the songs are part of an overall performance including other holiday songs relating to Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or other similar holidays.” Students can’t be forced to sing songs that conflict with their religious or nonreligious beliefs.

And it’s OK for government entities to put up Christmas trees and lights, along with more religious symbols like creches, as long as, again, it isn’t to promote a religion and “it is placed in context with other symbols of the Holiday season as part of an effort to celebrate the public Christmas holiday through its traditional symbols.”

So what’s the problem? Mike Moran, a columnist for The Herald News in Quincy, Mass., suggests the whole Rhode Island tree flap is just an artificial,media driven kerfuffle. He offered this perspective on it:

It’s not a holiday tree, governor; it’s a Christmas tree, they shrieked. The flames of outrage were fanned by the usual crowd — Ocean State talk radio hosts and, of course, Fox News. It was an early Christmas gift, tailor-made for the more lazy members of the media — another golden opportunity to drive a wedge, spike the ratings and make sure the whole world knows who really has the Christmas spirit and who doesn’t.

Here’s an exercise — go through the institute’s 12 rules and substitute the name of a holiday that’s not Christian, say, Chanukah or Ramadan or Kwanzaa, and substitute tree or creche with other religions’ symbols. See what you think, and how it squares with your sensibilities and your view of the 1st Amendment, which states that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on religion in public places, or, for that matter, the issue people make of it.

15 Responses

As an addendum to your last paragraph I’d say substitute “holiday” for non-Christian religious symbols, practices, etc. For example, instead of a menorah, say “holiday candles” – it just doesn’t have the same meaning does it? Instead of “fasting during Ramadan” say “fasting during the holiday”. You see there absolutely is a double standard where it’s okay to censor Christmas, but no one else.

I absolutely agree with “that guy with the beer gut” comment. If we have to substitute the word ‘holiday’ for the word ‘Christmas’, then why isn’t the word ‘holiday’ substituted for the words ‘Kwanzaa’ or ‘Chanukah’ or whatever other religious names there are for people’s celebrations? Why is Christmas the only target here?

Labelling The Rutherford Institute, a definitively Christian and socially Conservative organization, as “libertarian” is a bit of an eyeroller. I thought they disappeared after pushing so hard to get President Clinton convicted for his private love affair.

This time of year sure seems to get the “What Would Jesus Do” crowd to cry a lot and soil their clothing, it seems. Though the ridiculous politics over this time of year is literally millennia old. There was a time not too long ago that Christmas trees stood for anti-Catholicism and the creche was a display of Papal support. Calling it a Christmas tree is still relatively new. Prior to the Protestant Reformation it was called a Yule tree, in dedication to the Yul gods, especially Odin.

It’s worth noting that this country was founded shortly after the horrifically violent Reformation and Counter-Reformation which left hundreds of thousands dead for the most senseless of reasons. The conclusion was that religion – despite its popularity – has no place in government, hence that pesky clause in the First Amendment. We’ve had a long parade of idiots since then to remind is of that fact (like that time the Temperance Movement had their way with the Constitution, those were fun times). So let’s remember that.

I can’t recall the last time a politician created a spectacle out of Hanukkah, Ramadan isn’t until July (so how is that relevant?), and Kwanzaa is cultural, not religious.

However, if it’s true that there is a double standard then I’d agree: politicians should knock it off and respect the separation of church and state.

It’s a dark time of year, and however you choose to celebrate it, be safe, have fun, stay warm, and good tidings.

I would note that the Rutherford Institute takes a very permissive attitude toward church/state issues.

In number ten, regarding decorating the workplace, when I worked for the Road Home program (which distributed federal funds to hurricane victims for home repair)my employer, a private company under contract to the State of Louisiana, prohibited employees from decorating their offices if the public came into their office. They did not want the clients to feel they would get better treatment if they were Christian. This was reasonable and proper. Employees who did not meet with the public were free to decorate.

ITS CHRISTMAS. who many years have they called it “christmas” and “christmas tree”. After all these years we have to come politically correct. Politically correct is putting out menoras next to shockings. They say we need to be politically correct and take the “christ” out of chistmas cause not everyone believes in christ, well if you take it out then you are still being politically INNCORRECT because you are taking the christ out of christmas which most people do believe in. We are not telling everyone in the county that they have to believe in christmas or celebrate it like it is known to be. We are not holding a gun to their head to buy a CHRISTMAS TREE, shocking, or mistletoe. You can believe in whatever you want to. Christmas for most people is a time that beings family together and everyone is in a better spirit. Dont take that away from people. If some people have a problem with it them let the, let them celebrate the way they want, like i said we arent making them celebrate christmas. All im saying it either way if you leave it CHRISTmas or not, you will be policitally incorrect either way. Weve called it christmas for how may years and it now is a problem….those people that have a problem can go away for all i care. Dont ruin what we have believed in forever. You can decorate whatever you want and believe whatever you want. Thats why different religions have their own holidays so we dont have to believe in something we dont prefer to.

I love the idea of sharing our holiday and celebrating our diversity, but not at the exclusion of any one or any traditon.

So, if you share Kwanzaa table, a Chanukah kugel and a Wiccan harvest stew with me and I’ll share my Germanic Christmas tree and wreath spice cookies with you.

Don’t waste these days not dancing. Ingore those P C pundits – Just get on with it.
Raise your hot cocca, wine, waissal and coffee cups to celebrate, all of it, together. Then, donate to pantries, to clothes drives, to shelters and nursing homes.
Rose Moon

This whole ‘outrage’ nonsense is just part of the screed coming from the Religious Right and Faux, I mean, Fox News. There’s no war on Christmas, nor, by proxy, any war on Christianity. The ‘outrage’ is a cover for fundamentalist Christians who feel threatened by the increasingly pluralistic religious and multicultural nation we continue to become. It’s bigotry disquised as grivence. If these people were truly honest, they would confess that the very notion of Christmas is a syncretistic holiday created from a variety of religious and cultural sources. It was purposely dated to coincide with the preChristian Winter Solstice, when the Sunlight of day decreases to its smallest point before increasing. Christmas trees were adapted from the Druids, as was the mistletoe and on and on. Jesus wasn’t even born on that date, according to the astronomical records for that time (as suggested by his ‘finding’ by the Three Wise Kings, actually, Magi, or Zoroastrean priests from Persia). Just twaddle from spiritual twits, or right-wing opportunists….

Let’s look at who has really taken the “Christ” out of Christmas. To celebrate the “saviors” birth, Christians engage in a buying orgy all to celebrate the birth Jesus, who would be appalled at this whole ordeal. Billions spent on goods made in China (to the detriment of the US economy) with religious carols playing in the background. Putting ourselves further into debt to prove our “love” for the baby Jesus. Oh, and Lincoln Chafee said “holiday tree”, which, by the way, is what his Republican predecessor labeled the tree his entire term as governor of Rhode Island. The hypocrisy is beyond belief yet the Fox News faithful are right out there talking about how “victimized” they are as Christians.

Well, I see the usual round of “Fox News, Right Wing, Spiritual Twits” accusers has had its way here. Anonymous made good points Ganesh, Eihcir and Jeffrey have yet to address. Rose Moon did, for which I thank her.

Rose, your inclusive attitude is refreshing and welcome. The others spewed hate, and didn’t address the issues. I would be happy to raise a glass or mug with you to toast the season. The others, not so much.

For the others, if you are going to disagree with someone, please do it respectfully, and answer people’s points. All spouting hatred does is make clammour no one wants to hear.

Jeffery, your ignorance is showing. Not all Christians are out ranting and raving, or shopping and spending gobs of money. Many are volunteering in food pantries and homeless shelters, donating money that could be spent on gifts to causes that benefit the less fortunate. And gratefully counting their blessings, as they fail to go into debt.

As far as the “China” and “US Economy” comments are concerned, Jeffery, this is a global economy. US manufacturing has moved overseas, where it’s cheaper to make things. Don’t blame shoppers. Blame unions, who drove it away with demands for higher wages and benefits. Follow the money, please. And adjust yourself to a reality that the US economy is more driven on services and technical innovation than manufacturing now. Come into the 21st century, please.

Ganesh, your ignorance is showing, too, as is your prejudice. There is no “bigotry disguised as grievance.” There are genuine grievances. People who accuse Christians of such things often refuse to see the grievances. True Christians, those who believe in the Savior and honor Christmas as one of the holiest times of the year, don’t hold bigotry in their hearts. They are grieved when others do prejudicial things in their Lord’s name. If you really knew one, you would know that. Get to know them, before next you speak about them.

The way this country celebrates Christmas is anything but Christian. Just look around yourself at this season and tell me if the majority of or anything at all of what you see even remotely reminds you to think of and act like Jesus.
more likely it resembles the celebration of Santa. Why do we do that anyway? Wouldn’t our kids be just as happy if they knew
mom and Dad loved them enough to sacrifice to buy them presents for Christmas? Our TV fare these days is all about “reality” shows which are the greatest misnomer of our day, but we seem to have a great deal of difficulty dealing with our own reality.

Ah CK…the consummate fiddler playing his same theocratic tune while Rome burns. Lets compare the number of “Christians” flocking to the malls to celebrate this most auspicious holiday vs. those that are actually following the tenets of their faith. And what might those beliefs be…something about peace on earth, unconditional love for all and something about blessed are the poor. But we all know that according to you and your teavangelist friends, the poor are all lazy and really don’t deserve help. And by all means CK, lets hide behind the fallacy of a “global economy” being all the fault of labor unions. Perhaps you would like to lead the charge and go back to $1.50 per hour so we can get those jobs back here? But by all means, get your sanctimonious panties in a bundle because the Governor of Rhode Island said “holiday tree”. Poor victimized and oppressed Christians.